You are viewing a single comment's thread from:
RE: Crypto Tax Blog - Investing in Bitcoin? Let’s Learn U.S. Tax Rules! (Part I-A)
If it is property wouldn't it only be taxable if it is transferred to U.S. dollars? That is how I saw it, you don't have a taxable income if you trade a piano for a guitar, but you do have taxable income if you sell a guitar.
Stay tuned for his "like kind exchange" analysis...
See below.
"Q-6: Does a taxpayer have gain or loss upon an exchange of virtual currency for other property?
A-6:
Yes. If the fair market value of property received in exchange for virtual currency exceeds the taxpayer’s adjusted basis of the virtual currency, the taxpayer has taxable gain. The taxpayer has a loss if the fair market value of the property received is less than the adjusted basis of the virtual currency. See Publication 544, Sales and Other Dispositions of Assets, for information about the tax treatment of sales and exchanges, such as whether a loss is deductible. "
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-14-21.pdf
It'd be awfully strange if it worked otherwise. That is, if you sold then bought something you'd be taxed, but not if you bought directly?
Exactly that is why it's the rule for direct exchanges to be taxed. You know your stuff!
Thanks. Sometimes these tax rules make sense if you think about it.
Similarly, keeping track of each purchase's basis might sound extremely obnoxious. But it would be far, far, worse if you had to pay taxes on the gross proceeds of a sale, instead of the profit. Which, IIRC, happens if you can't prove your basis.
Agree you need to substantiate basis to claim basis.